{"id":774757,"date":"2023-11-30T06:53:51","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T11:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=774757"},"modified":"2023-11-30T06:53:51","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T11:53:51","slug":"space-force-to-track-abnormal-objects-of-unknown-origin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=774757","title":{"rendered":"Space Force to track \u2018abnormal objects of unknown origin\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nThe U.S. Space Force tracks many different objects near Earth such as human-made debris, commercial satellites, spacecraft and natural debris. Now, it\u2019ll also track \u201cobjects that exhibit abnormal observables and patterns of life and cannot by correlated to any owner or point of origin.\u201d Image via U.S. Space Force\/ Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Have you heard of STARCOM? It\u2019s also known as the Space Training and Readiness Command, headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. STARCOM works in education and training, and in doctrine, for the U.S. Space Force. And on November 16, 2023, STARCOM released a publication titled SDP 3-100: Space Domain Awareness. <\/p>\n
Space domain awareness is routine stuff. It\u2019s the detection, tracking and cataloging of objects orbiting Earth (active or inactive and foreign or domestic satellites, for example). <\/p>\n
But there\u2019s one part of the new document that has caught people\u2019s attention. It has become part of the continued discussion of what the U.S. government calls Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAP \u2026 known to most of us as UFOs. <\/p>\n
In short, the Space Force wants to track \u201cabnormal observables and patterns of life\u201d with \u201cunknown origins.\u201d <\/p>\n
Sounds intriguing, but what does it mean?<\/p>\n
The 2024 lunar calendars are here! Best Christmas gifts in the universe! Check \u2019em out here.<\/p>\n
What is space domain awareness?<\/h3>\n
Brett Tingley wrote about the new STARCOM publication for Space.com on November 22, 2023. As Tingley noted:<\/p>\n
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Most of the document describes the need to maintain a safe environment by monitoring and tracking such objects as pieces of space debris, the ever-growing number of commercial satellites, spacecraft operated by adversaries, and \u2018the hazards posed by the space environment and natural debris\u2019 such as meteoroids or solar flares.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The Space Domain Awareness document itself said:<\/p>\n
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Operating safely in the space domain requires the ability to detect, track, characterize, discriminate between and maintain custody of increasingly smaller spacecraft and debris with increased accuracy. It requires the ability to detect, track, characterize, discriminate, and maintain custody of objects that are dimmer, more distant or otherwise difficult to observe despite the increased proliferation of objects that are nearer and brighter.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Tracking \u2018abnormal observables with unknown origins\u2019<\/h3>\n
The document continued:<\/p>\n
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It requires the ability to rapidly identify and respond to threats and hazards, including objects that exhibit abnormal observables and patterns of life and cannot be correlated to any owner or point of origin.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
So what are \u201cobjects that exhibit abnormal observables and patterns of life?\u201d Usually rockets, as Tingley pointed out:<\/p>\n
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Most of the time, these are objects launched by other nations. The STARCOM document points out that it is \u2018imperative for the safety of space operations that the United States not only knows where objects and spacecraft are at any given time, but also how they got there, who owns them, their potential capabilities and their operator\u2019s intent.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nView larger. | The U.S. Space Force tracks many different kinds of objects near Earth, including human-made space debris, satellites, spacecraft operated by adversaries and natural debris such as micrometeoroids. Image via NASA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Space Force connection to UAP?<\/h3>\n
But could<\/em> some objects be UAP? That\u2019s what the UFO-interested community wants to know. Perhaps you\u2019ve followed the talk in the U.S. Congress in recent years on the subject of UAP? In July 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense an All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, whose job is to investigate:<\/p>\n
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\u2026 Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and other phenomena in the air, sea, and\/or space and\/or on land: sometimes referred to as \u2018unidentified aerial phenomena\u2019 or \u2018unidentified anomalous phenomena\u2019 (UAP). <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
And this office\u2019s annual report \u2013 released in October 2023 \u2013 mentions near-Earth space as one of the domains regarding UAP reports. The Glossary of Terms said:<\/p>\n
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Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon (UAP): Sources of anomalous detections in one or more domain (i.e., airborne, seaborne, spaceborne and\/or transmedium) that are not yet attributable to known actors and that demonstrate behaviors that are not readily understood by sensors or observers. \u2018Anomalous detections\u2019 include but are not limited to phenomena that demonstrate apparent capabilities or material that exceed known performance envelopes. A UAP may consist of one or more unidentified anomalous objects and may persist over an extended period of time.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
More specifically, it listed UAP in space as:<\/p>\n
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Spaceborne UAP: Sources of anomalous detections above the Karman Line [i.e., the proposed boundary between Earth\u2019s atmosphere and outer space, located some 10 km above Earth\u2019s mean sea level].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
NDAA Science Plan and UAP<\/h3>\n
As in the previous couple years, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2023 contained UAP-related mandates as well. The Science Plan portion stated:<\/p>\n
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SCIENCE PLAN \u2013 The Director of the Office, on behalf of the Secretary and the Director of National Intelligence, shall supervise the development and execution of a science plan to develop and test, as practicable, scientific theories to \u2013<\/p>\n
(1) account for characteristics and performance of unidentified aerospace-undersea phenomena that exceed the known state of the art in science or technology, including in the areas of propulsion, aerodynamic control, signatures, structures, materials, sensors, countermeasures, weapons, electronics and power generation; and<\/p>\n
(2) provide the foundation for potential future investments to replicate or otherwise better understand any such advanced characteristics and performance.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
So, it sounds like the Space Force could<\/em> be tracking some objects \u2013 among all the \u201cregular\u201d ones \u2013 that the DoD might consider to be UAP (and NASA has similar descriptions for UAP). <\/p>\n
But, for now at least, most of the information related to any possible tracking of UAP is classified. So we probably won\u2019t hear much about whatever they might find \u2026 if indeed there is anything to be found.<\/p>\n
Bottom line: The U.S. Space Force is now charged with tracking objects near Earth that exhibit \u2018abnormal observables\u2019 and are of \u2018unknown origin.\u2019 Does that mean UAP, and is a recent report from STARCOM more fuel for the UAP fire \u2013 the flare-up in talk in U.S. government circles \u2013 in recent years?<\/p>\n
Source: STARCOM Releases Space Domain Awareness Doctrine Publication<\/p>\n
Via Space.com<\/p>\n
Read more: Launches: U.S. Space Force takes command<\/p>\n
Read more: Will the proposed UAP Disclosure Act reveal UFO secrets?<\/p>\n
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Paul Scott Anderson<\/h4>\n
View Articles\n <\/p><\/div>\n
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About the Author:<\/h6>\n
Paul Scott Anderson has had a passion for space exploration that began when he was a child when he watched Carl Sagan\u2019s Cosmos. While in school he was known for his passion for space exploration and astronomy. He started his blog The Meridiani Journal in 2005, which was a chronicle of planetary exploration. In 2015, the blog was renamed as Planetaria. While interested in all aspects of space exploration, his primary passion is planetary science. In 2011, he started writing about space on a freelance basis, and now currently writes for AmericaSpace and Futurism (part of Vocal). He has also written for Universe Today and SpaceFlight Insider, and has also been published in The Mars Quarterly and has done supplementary writing for the well-known iOS app Exoplanet for iPhone and iPad.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Earth](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2023\/11\/micrometeoroids-debris-Earth-artist-concept-June-14-2016-800x818.jpg\")